Explosives for Civil Uses: where we are

For five years European associations representing the Explosives for Civil Uses Task Force, led by the 2886 European Aggregates Association (UEPG), have worked closely to ensure a well-informed and prepared supply chain capable of implementing the European Union (EU) Directive on Identification and Traceability of Explosives for Civil Uses by the revised deadline of 5 April 2015.

The 1022 European Commission Directive 2008/43/EC, setting up a system for the identification and traceability of explosives for civil uses, is part of the series of measures to help combat terrorism and adopt measures to strengthen the control of explosives for civil use. The aim of the Directive, referred as the Track and Trace Directive, is to ensure the identification and the traceability of an explosive from its production site and its first placing on the market to its final user and its use.

For every identified article, the requirement is to keep records available for a period of ten years.

The Track and Trace Directive was due to be implemented by April 2012. A postponement was requested by a coalition of associations representing users and manufacturers of explosives.

The approved delay was essential to develop, test and validate an industry-wide software and scanning system common to all manufacturers. It became necessary to inform and train end-users on operational systems.

The Explosives for Civil Uses Task Force was created to establish a common action plan for all the supply chain’s actors, informing, supporting and optimising the implementation of the Directive more effectively and within the required timing.

Members of the Task Force included the European Commission; the European associations representing the users, the explosives’ manufacturers; blasting engineers and operators; and Track and Trace software manufacturers.

The Task Force prepared guidance documents for the whole supply chain; questions and answers; leaflets for end-users in nine languages of the 3654 European Union; and a website available at www. explosives-for-civil-uses.eu. The UEPG members’ association widely promoted the deliveries of the Task Force at national level and several countries organised a series of workshops inviting the whole supply chain’s representatives to participate and intervene to raise awareness and be ready in time.

2015: year of implementation

Since 2013, explosives manufacturers and importers have been identifying each explosive with a single code before putting it on the market. To be able to continue production, all the undertakings in the supply chain as well as users such as aggregates companies, should have in place a system for collecting the unique identification of the explosives and to maintain the information for a ten-year period.

They also have to check their current stocks (if any) and to ensure that all stocks to last beyond 5 April, 2015 have been coded, and the codes been recorded.

From then onwards, every delivery of explosives should be recorded.

Reference Documents

COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2008/43/EC of 4 April 2008 setting up, pursuant to Council Directive 93/15/EEC, a system for the identification and traceability of explosives for civil uses (Text with EEA relevance)

COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2012/4/EU of 22 February 2012 amending Directive 2008/43/ EC setting up, pursuant to Council Directive 93/15/EEC, a system for the identification and traceability of explosives for civil uses.